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Saturday 30 September was like many other days this long summer. Warm, sunny, butterflies about. The night was amazing - calm and mild at first then becoming a bit chilly when the stars came out. Significantly, there were no midges. At last. Come Sunday morning, the first day of October and things had changed. The wind had gone to the north, there was a definite chill in the air and a swell began to rise and break on the beach. A gentle start to autumn.

Bonny in her favourite element

On top of the high ridge between Molinginish and Caolas Scalpaigh is the summit cairn of Beinn a Chaolais. On a clear day you can see to Uist, Skye, Applecross, Torridon, and so on north along the mainland coast. Across to the north are Reinigeadal and the mountains of Pairc and Harris. This view taken on a fairly hazy day looks out south eastwards over the mouth of East Loch Tarbert with the island of Scalpaigh to the left and to its right the maze of islands through which the ferry to Skye threads its way.

Padruig (Peter) Campbell was the tenth child and sixth son of Ruaraidh Mor (see blog of 16 January 2006). Like the rest of Ruaraidh's family he was born in Molinginish - in about 1843. He was a fisherman for much of his active life. There were nine fishermen recorded in the 1871 census in Molinginish, which with a crew of about five to a boat would have meant two boats' crews. He prospered well at the fishing and built this house, probably around 1873 when he married Margaret Campbell, who was originally from Berneray, but by this time lived with her sister in Kyles Scalpay. Padruig's brother Murchadh married Margaret's sister Effy the following year. Tradition also says that the two brothers used to row all the way to Berneray to visit the girls - and apparently they knew the way so well that they did not need to turn around until they arrived. Neither couple had any children. Padruig's house was advanced for its day in such a remote location. Built of stone and lime with tall casement windows and a felt roof and with chimneys at either end it was the last word in comfort in its day. Padruig was well known as a genial friendly man who could be relied on to help out in time of need. A religious man, he was well known in his day for the composition of spiritual songs. In his old age Padruig moved to Tarbert where he passed away, at the stated age of 88 in 1933. His neice Catriona Dhomhnuill Bhig and her husband and family moved into the house for a time before they moved to the Bays. It then fell into disrepair. Later, one of the remaining people in the village knocked down the eastern gable and constructed a byre inside the house. The remainder of the house stands today as a testimony to Padruig, his hard work and his long life.

Murchadh Beachd, Padruig's brother married Padruig's wife's sister, Effy (also known as Euphemia or Henrietta in the various records) in 1874. He built this house just across the burn from Padruig. He seems also to have prospered at the fishing - so much so that he and his wife employed a domestic servant who lived with them at the time of the 1881 census. Effy's own family had a hard life before coming to Molinginish. She was born in the island of Pabbay (pictured below - acknowledgement to Wikipedia) in about 1844, the daughter of Norman Campbell and his wife Marion Morrison. The family along with the whole of the rest of the population of Pabbay were evicted in 1846. They then moved to Berneray where Margaret, Padruig's wife was born, probably shortly after they arrived in Berneray. Norman at first had land in Berneray - in 1851 he had ten acres - but later he lost that land, as latterly he was described as a cottar. After Effy died in 1922 Murchadh, like his brother Padruig moved to stay with their neice Ann - daughter of their brother Finlay - Fionnlagh Shodhaidh - of whom more later. Murchadh died in 1926. The top end of his house was converted into a byre and the stone taken from the other walls for this. At the bottom end of the house and obscured by trees is the little house built and occupied by his nephew John Campbell - Am Balbhan, after his moving from the Shiants - of whom also more later.